{"id":2918,"date":"2021-02-05T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T09:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardenbenches.com\/blog\/?p=2918"},"modified":"2021-01-25T15:13:12","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T15:13:12","slug":"how-to-handle-neighbourly-disputes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gardenbenches.com\/blog\/how-to-handle-neighbourly-disputes\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Handle Neighbourly Disputes"},"content":{"rendered":"

A neighbourly dispute isn\u2019t something we all plan on having, but sadly, from time to time, they do crop up. The express reported that two-thirds of us are affected by neighbourly disputes[i]<\/a>. So, we\u2019ve put together a detailed list of some of the most common neighbour disputes and how you can resolve them quickly and peacefully.<\/p>\n

At Sloane & Sons Garden Benches<\/a>, we\u2019re experts in all things garden furniture related, but we also know a lot about resolving neighbourly disputes. Whether it\u2019s noisy neighbours, nuisance neighbours or even dealing with harassment from neighbours, by the end of this post, we\u2019re confident you\u2019ll have everything you need to get your issues under control.<\/p>\n

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Most common neighbour disputes<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at some of the most common reasons for getting into a tiff with your neighbour.<\/p>\n

Unless otherwise stated, all figures here are from a study carried out in the UK by Goodmove[ii]<\/a>. 1000 participants across England, Wales and Scotland reported on their grievances with neighbours.<\/p>\n

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  1. Noisy neighbours<\/li>\n
  2. Garden disputes<\/li>\n
  3. Parking in their driveways<\/li>\n
  4. Rubbish related issues<\/li>\n
  5. Property boundaries<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We\u2019ll go into more detail about what these issues entail below<\/p>\n

    1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Noisy Neighbours<\/h3>\n

    The most common neighbour disputes can vary depending on where you live. Nevertheless, at the top of this list has to be noisy neighbours. The main reason in Scotland and England for neighbour disputes was noise related either generated from loud parties or loud music.<\/p>\n

    2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Garden Disputes<\/h3>\n

    In Wales, the most popular disputes are environmental; plants and trees overgrowing onto properties, cutting trees down, or knocking things into gardens. Interestingly, Wales is a hotspot for neighbour disputes in the UK with a whopping 72% reporting that they have some kind of issue with their neighbour. In the rest of the UK, however, garden disputes are still a major cause of neighbour grievances. In the North of England, 18% of respondents had an issue with plants\/trees overgrowing onto their property. In Scotland, 20% had issues with neighbours paying their fair share for a garden fence.<\/p>\n

    3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Parking in their Driveways<\/h3>\n

    Neighbours in the south-west of England had the biggest issue with neighbours parking in their driveway; 22% reporting that this was an issue for them which is above the national average of 17%.<\/p>\n

    4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rubbish Related Issues<\/h3>\n

    Ever gone to put something in the bin to see that it\u2019s a little fuller than when you last left it? If so, then you\u2019re not alone. 16% of respondents across the country had this issue too, with 23% in the south-east reporting the issue. Additionally, it seems people have issues with their neighbours not taking their bin out at all (15%).<\/p>\n

    5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Property Boundaries<\/h3>\n

    One of the biggest misunderstandings with neighbours relates to property boundaries and, if you don\u2019t have the property deeds to hand, this can be hard to dispute. It can be hard to dispute even if you do have the deeds to your property, defined boundaries can be vague[iii]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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    Handling neighbour disputes the right way <\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Now we have an idea of the most common grievances neighbours have with each other, we can discuss the correct steps to take to resolve a conflict.<\/p>\n

    There are usually three main steps to resolving neighbour disputes;<\/p>\n